If you want to watch Twitch on your Roku you might run into a few problems. The most notable of which is that there is no longer an official Twitch app for Roku. But is there a way around this?
Watching Twitch on Roku – What You Need To Know
If you have the old Twitch app installed on your Roku, there’s a slight chance it may still work. Back in 2020, there were reports that some users had found a workaround that got the old Twitch app working on Roku.
Annoyingly, there were also plenty of users that could not get the old Twitch app to play ball. But is it definitely worth a try – it seems to work sometimes and then, other times, it just doesn’t work at all.
This isn’t a solution, but if you can get it working it is definitely worth a try – especially if you don’t want to ditch your Roku for something that will run Twitch like Amazon’s Fire Stick TV.
Can You Still Download The Old Twitch App For Roku?
If you don’t have the old Twitch app installed on your Roku, or your Roku is new and this is the first time you’ve attempted to use Twitch on your Roku, you can no longer download the Twitch app via the Roku Channel Store.
Instead, you’ll need to do this: follow this link > follow the prompts > then, if the Twitch app doesn’t appear straight away, go to Settings > System > System Restart.
This will reboot your Roku stick and it should fix any install issues. If it doesn’t, then you’re flat out of luck – the Twitch app will not work on your system.
What Happened To The Twitch App For Roku?
As I said, this is super-annoying. I had no idea why Roku would support Twitch and then NOT support it.
Given how popular Twitch is you’d think Roku would be all over it. The platform has millions of users and is used worldwide to access things like esports tournaments and watch play thoughts by pro gamers.
And then I found out why: Amazon acquired Twitch and because Roku is a major competitor to its Fire Stick devices, Amazon basically did the dirty and cut off Roku which, while annoying, is basically par for the course with Amazon.
This is why you cannot buy Chromecast or Apple TV via Amazon either; Amazon doesn’t like/want/allow anything to compete directly with its Fire products inside its store.
And while that is totally unfair, this is how Amazon became the biggest retailer on the planet.
Roku Alternatives That Support Twitch
When it comes to streaming sticks and hardware that support Twitch, you have a few options. All of Amazon’s Fire products support Twitch. You can also run Twitch on the PS4 and Apple TV as well. Microsoft’s Xbox platform will also run it too.
My advice? Even though I do not condone what Amazon did to Roku with the Twitch app, if you do need a cheap way of watching Twitch on your TV, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is just about the cheapest option for doing this.
With the Amazon Fire Stick (or any of Amazon’s Fire products), you get access to a bunch of additional features too – things like Amazon Prime Video which is now really good.
And the best part is they’re really inexpensive – you can pick up the basic one for $64 (and that includes a free Echo Dot).
If you’re an iPhone user, go with the Apple TV. It is pricier than Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, but it also comes with a bunch of great apps installed – things like Netflix and other streaming platforms. And it works seamlessly with iPhone and iPad.
Or, get yourself a console – you can pick up old Xbox models for dirt cheap these days – and run it via one of them.
Sadly, the days of running Twitch on Roku are over. Amazon bought it and delivered the death-blow, and while there are “claimed workarounds” none of them really work and will leave you wanting.
My advice? Get the Amazon Fire TV Stick – it’s cheap and it functions perfectly. And, as a side bonus, you get a free Echo Dot!
Richard Goodwin
Richard Goodwin has been working as a tech journalist for over 10 years. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.